Kharon: The Myth Of The Underworld’s Mysterious Ferryman

The myth of Kharon tells us about one of the most enigmatic characters in Greek mythology: the ferryman of the underworld. His mission was to transport the souls of those who had just lost their lives to Hades, where they would then dwell for all eternity.

This character was a tired and careless old man with a white, tufted beard. His face was ugly and bearded and he had a horrible attitude. Myth says that Kharon moved his boat with the help of a stake, that he hoisted sails and that the boat was always rusty and almost ready to fall.

Kharon traveled along the river Acheron, which means “river of pain “. His work was tedious and endless, it never ended and it gave him a rather sour appearance. The only situation that took him out of the eternal routine was when a living person wanted to enter the realm of the dead. This had happened to both Hercules and Orpheus. Otherwise, his tasks were endless, repetitive routines.

The origin of the myth

The myth of Kharon says that the underworld ferryman was the son of Nyx and Erebos. They also say that he was born so far back in time that there is no memory of his birth. Nyx was the goddess of the night, and blessed with such overwhelming beauty that even Zeus feared her. In addition, she was the daughter of Khaos and she was present at the creation of the universe.

Erebos was the god of darkness and shadow. He ruled over the dark mists that surround the end of the earth. He was also present in all the places of the underworld. Although he was Nyx’s brother, they had two children together; Aither, the god of heavenly sound and upper air and Hemera, the goddess of the day.

According to the myth of Kharon, Nyx had several children on his own without the interference of his brother and husband, Eresbos. And that’s how the ferryman got his siblings: the three moirs: fate, Ker: orbit, Thanatos: death, Hypnos: dream, Geras: old age, Oizyerna: pain, Apate: deception, Nemesis: deserved punishment, Eris: division, Philotes: tenderness, Momos: sarcasm, Hesperidene: daughters of the evening, Oneiroi: dreams, Keres: spirits of destruction and Morors: fatality.

The history of the ferryman

Myth tells us that Kharon’s name literally means “intense light”. This is because people only a few seconds before they die, get a very special twinkle in the eye. This refers to the ferryman’s name. One of the most common translations of the name Charon is actually “with it he would gaze” or ” he w ith the fiery glances e t “.

Some say that it was his sisters, the Moirs, who urged him to complete his duty. They caused him to suffer a terrible impatience when a person was about to die. It was at this moment that Kharon reached the bank of the river and waited for the souls of the recently deceased. But not all souls could cross the river of pain, Akheron, with him. For souls needed a coin to pay for the journey.

Therefore, the Greeks always buried their dead with a coin under their tongue. This was the payment for the ferryman to transport their souls to Hades. Souls who did not have a coin or who had not been properly buried were forced to walk along the river for a hundred years. After this time, Kharon allowed them to cross the river for free.

Kharon and Hades

Finally, the myth tells us that only two people have managed to get to Hades without dying in the attempt. One of them was Hercules, whom Kharon took to the underworld without being able to fully explain why and without asking for payment. Therefore, the gods also punished Kharon and forced him to spend a year in prison.

Orpheus was the only ordinary mortal person who managed to get to Hades. He enchanted and cowed the ferryman with his magical music. Charon also allowed g udinne n Psyche, the soul god inside, to get past thanks to the tricks she used to confuse him.

Although Kharon operated primarily in the Akheron River, he also had the right to steer his boat on the other rivers of the underworld, including Kokytos; the river of mourning, Pyriflegethon; the water current of the fire, Lete; the river of unrest and the Styx; the river of invulnerability.